The history of British prison hulks has been largely overlooked, despite the fact that thousands of convicts awaiting transportation to Australia were confined within their wooden walls. Commissioned in 1776, prison hulks were initially a temporary measure in response to prison overcrowding. Death rates amongst convicts held on board were high; ventilation was poor, and disease spread like wildfire. By 1847, a series of scandals relating to the medical treatment of convicts at Woolwich, along the Thames Estuary, led to a large-scale government inquiry. Ninety-eight overseers, guards, inspectors, clerks and convicts were interviewed by the Prison Inspectorate. Convicts believed that they were being allowed to die for their bodies to supply schools of anatomy. Surgeon Peter Bossy was singled out; accused of brutal conduct, he had allowed unqualified apprentices to carry out operations, employed convicts as nurses and interfered with inquests. The scale of the 1847 inquiry was immense and provides the most comprehensive record of life and death on board prison hulks. With reference to Parliamentary and Home Office reports, this paper will unpick the significance of the inquiry and bring about greater understanding of contemporary attitudes towards convicts and their medical treatment, from hospital bed to burial ground.